Addition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors to Beta-Blockers Has a Distinct Effect on Hispanics Compared With African Americans and Whites With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Propensity Score–Matching Study

Abstract Background There are currently no data on the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) in Hispanic patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We aimed to investigate the effect of adding ACEis to beta-blockers on mortality and hospitalization for HF exacerbation in patients with HFrEF stratified by race/ethnicity. Methods and Results From Montefiore Medical Center’s 3 large hospitals, 618 consecutive patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] P  = .14; and 8.1% vs 9.5%, HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.44–1.60; P  = .6; respectively). After stratifying patients based on race/ethnicity, ACEi demonstrated a lower 2-year mortality compared with no-ACEi in Hispanics (9.8% vs 28.4%, HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13–0.87; P  = .018) but not in African Americans (17.0% vs 11.8%, HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.34–2.65; P  = .91) or Whites (9.2% vs 10.3%, HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.29–2.74; P  = .83). Two-year hospitalization was not different between ACEi and no-ACEi in Hispanics, African Americans, or Whites (all P  = NS). In multivariate analysis, ACEi therapy was an independent predictor of lower 2-year mortality (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.89; P  = .028) in Hispanics only. Conclusions In this retrospective propensity-matched study of patients with HFrEF who were on a beta-blocker, ACEi therapy was associated with greater mortality reduction in Hispanic patients compared with African Americans and Whites. These findings need to be confirmed in large national studies that include a significant fraction of Hispanic patients.